1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is that of the transfer of data through a telephone or computer communications network.
More specifically, the invention relates to a method and a system enabling two populations of persons, one being sedentary (for example a provider of long-distance services) and the other being nomadic (for example the customers of this provider of services) to exchange data in a sure and speedy manner.
The problem posed is that of enabling an authorized nomadic user to obtain remote access to the services offered by the provider of services while preventing a fraudulent person from claiming that he is authorized, has paid the corresponding fees or has not asked for the services debited to him.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To resolve this problem, it has been proposed to use access keys that the nomadic user generates by means of a multimedia terminal or piece of peripheral equipment connected to a telephone handset, for example by inserting a memory card into the peripheral equipment. These approaches, apart from their cost, are impractical and lengthy in their implementation for they imply the installation of peripheral equipment such as memory card readers. In fact, the problem posed cannot be effectively resolved if it is sought to resolve another problem simultaneously, namely that of designing a method and system that is convenient to use, speedy in its implementation and economical. For, once an application pertains to a large section of the public, facility of use and gain in time become major questions that cannot be set aside. More particularly, the attachment of the users to nomadic products having the size of a credit card that can be easily stowed into a wallet or card-holder implies the designing of methods and systems that implement nomadic objects with these dimensional characteristics.